There is a chill in the air in Asheville, and this weekend rain is in the forecast! As the weather continues its turn from Summer to Fall in the mountains of Western North Carolina, there are a couple things we are excited about! 1. The leaves, and 2. Ciderfest NC!! It is the time of year where cravings of apple cider start to take over thoughts of summer cocktails, and in its third year, CiderFest NC is something we all look forward to!

This year’s event is packed with new opportunities to taste and experience Cider. With over twenty Cider makers serving up tasty varieties of hard cider, and a new addition of two local mead makers Bee & Bramble & Fox Hill Meadery, this festival will not disappoint! To compliment your cider we have added a new Chef’s Station where apples and hard cider will be the featured ingredients for small plates, and food trucks will be serving up food as well. Back again by popular demand, the WNC Cheese Trail will be there to offer samples from local creamerie, and if that was not enought, Postre Caramels will be offering samples of caramel on apples!

On the music front, the festival will feature local bands and buskers from the Asheville area sprinkled throughout the festival, unplugged, allowing attendees to enjoy live music as they are in line for a sample of cider or mead! You will enjoy music by Goldie & The Screamers, Shifty Drifters (Abby the Spoon Lady), and more great bands.

True to its roots, this year’s event will also feature something for the home cider makers. A Home Cider Making Booth sponsored by Asheville Brewers Supply will offer cider making kits, educational demonstrations, and a casual area for home cider makers to share their cider as well as lessons they have learned.

The family friendly event has had great fun painting pumpkins and doing fall crafts in previous years but this year will offer anInteractive Children’sArea focused on green living. This area will have hands on fun educational activities and demo’s for both the children and adults to learn.